Brothers In Arms
by Misha
Summary: They will always be brothers in arms.


Brothers In Arms   
By Misha 

Disclaimer- I don't own the characters of the "West Wing" they belong to Aaron Sorkin, NBC, and probably a few other people. I'm using the characters without permission, but since I am not making money off of this story, please do not sue me. Also, I do not own the song "Brothers In Arms" by Dire Straits, so don't sue me for using that either, Ôkay? 

Author's Notes- This is just a short song fic inspired by "Posse Comitatus". I use the song from "Two Cathedrals", because I thought that it fit. This is short and sad, but also comforting. It's fic about the deep bond of friendship, about brothers in arms. Well, that's all for now, enjoy! 

Spoilers- Everything up to "Posse Comitatus". 

Archive- Sure, just tell me where. 

Rating- PG-13   


* * *

C.J looked horrible. 

It had been almost twenty-four hours since Agent Simon Donovan had lost his life and it looked like she hadn't slept at all in that time. As if she was running on empty. 

Donna knew how that felt. 

Though she hadn't lost, Josh that night. She had certainly thought that she might. 

She knew that C.J had to be feeling even more lost than she had been. Because for her, there had been no happy ending. Only a horrible, tragic one. 

Which is why, Donna had gently persuaded C.J to come over to Josh's that night. 

She knew from experience that though C.J might not admit it, but she needed to be surrounded by her friends. It was the only way to get through the pain. 

_These mist covered mountains   
Are a home now for me   
But my home is the lowlands   
And always will be   
Some day you'll return to   
Your valleys and your farms   
And you'll no longer burn   
To be brothers in arm _

C.J had spent the hours since SimonÕs death, pushing people away, but she hadn't done that to Donna. 

She had seen the look in Donna's eyes that told her that she understood what she was feeling. And so she had allowed herself to be embraced for the first time since Simon's death. 

She had pushed everyone else who attempted to comfort her away. 

But not Donna. Not then. 

She even agreed to go to Josh's that night. On the condition that it was just the five of them. Donna, C.J, Josh, Sam, and Toby. Just like always. 

She didn't want to need anyone, but if she had to lean on somebody, she wanted it to be them. 

Her brothers and sister in arms. 

_Through these fields of destruction   
Baptism of fire   
I've watched all your suffering   
As the battles raged higher   
And though they did hurt me so bad   
In the fear and alarm   
You did not desert me   
My brothers in arms_

They all sat in Josh's leaving room, not talking, just thinking. Reflecting on the events that had brought five very different people together and forged an unbreakable bond. 

C.J looked around and knew that each of them understood in their own way, a bit of the pain in her heart. 

They had all been marked by tragedy. 

That in their personal life and that which they as a group had suffered in the last two years. 

Mrs. Landingham's death. 

The MS and the hearings. 

Rosslyn. 

C.J looked over at Josh who had almost lost his own life two years ago to gunfire. Saw the wounds that would never heal in his eyes. 

And in Donna's. She loved him so much. 

And he loved her. Amy Gardner was just a distraction, she wouldn't last. 

C.J saw Josh and Donna sitting next to each other, their hands touching ever so lightly, and had to turn away. She saw the love that poured out of them at every turn and it broke her heart. 

Simon might have been her chance for a love like that. She had already been halfway to loving him and then it ended. 

She wondered when the struggles and the pain would end. 

It just seemed that there was no escape. 

Yet, no matter how bad it was, her friends were there. They could lean on one another, be there in joy and sorrow. 

She would never be able to find the words to admit it, but she needed them right now. 

And they knew it. That was why they were there. 

They would never turn their back on her in her moment of need. 

_There's so many different worlds   
So many different suns   
And we have just one world   
But we live in different ones_

Toby looked around at the others in the room. 

And saw the scars that didn't show on the outside. 

Another one had been added the night before. Another victim, another sorrow. 

And nothing any of them could do would change that. 

He could comfort, but not heal. 

He'd give anything to be able to prevent the actions that had caused all their pain, but he couldn't. 

He couldn't stop Josh from being shot; he couldn't stop Mrs. Landingham from being in the wrong place at the wrong time; and he couldn't save Simon Donovan. 

But he would if he could. 

He looked at C.J and saw the pain in her eyes, that she tried to hide. She had known Simon for only a brief time, but he had a meant a lot to her and his death had devastated her. 

Devastated them all. 

Another good man was dead because of a gun. 

To Toby it was a senseless waste and he wanted to prevent it from ever happening again. But he couldn't. 

_Now the sun's gone to hell   
And the moon's riding high   
Let me bid you farewell   
Every man has to die_

Josh's father had always told him not to be afraid of death. That when your time came, it came. 

As a child, Josh had listened and believed his father's words. 

But now things were different. Now he wondered who decided when your "time" came? 

Who had chosen to take Joanie before she had really even begun to live? Who had decided it was time to take the lives of Delores Landingham's twin boys on Christmas Eve? Had that same being been the one who decided that she would die in the first new car she had ever owned? The one who had decided to spare Josh's life, but to take Simon Donovan's two years later? 

It made no sense to Josh. 

It seemed like a horribly cruel game of chance to him. 

He knew that everyone died, that death was a part of life. 

But he didn't understand why people died the way Simon had. In one horrible moment at the hands of the human being. 

Josh had a scar on his chest that he would never really understand the motive behind. But it would always be there. A permanent reminder of hate and intolerence. 

Josh moved his hand, so that it was no longer resting on top of Donna's, but holding hers. 

She looked at him and he knew that she understood him better than anyone else. That she always would. 

_But it's written in the starlight   
And every line on your palm   
We're fools to make war   
On our brothers in arms_

He loved these people. Sam knew that. 

He loved them with his whole heart. They were part of him, part of his soul. 

He knew that they had shared their souls and hearts with one another long ago. That they all felt the same pain and heartbreaks. 

That all of them were feeling C.J's pain, as well as their own. 

But that none of them really understood why they had to suffer this pain. None of them understood why Simon Donovan dead. 

Sam knew that he would never understand how someone could take someone else's life. 

It just wasn't in his nature. 

He knew that some people thought that he was too trusting and naive, but that was who he was. And he'd rather be that way, than be cold and bitter. 

It would be too easy to give into the anger and the pain, but he wouldn't. 

Couldn't. 

It wasn't for himself that he had made that resolve, but for the people around him. For his friends. His brothers (and sisters) in arms. 

They were bound to one another in love and friendship. Through pain and through joy. 

Even in the silence, he felt that bond. Knew that when one of them needed the others, they would always be there. 

The End 


End file.
